The sight of men in uniform—be they police officers, forest officers or transport officers—invites sniggers in our cynical republic. They are lampooned in popular culture, in songs, films, books, TV serials, as being corrupt, pot-bellied and unfit, making their millions when we are not watching.

The only fear they invoke is in infants being put to sleep.

But there is another side, too, of sweat, toil and tears—and blood–as the spectacles and clothes of excise inspector V.N. Naik show. On Thursday, Naik was part of a team which swooped down on illicit liquor brewers in Karavigudda near Belgaum. Two officers were injured in the clash.

Here I have to say that even us born cynics have to lay back and think. Really good. Media should also look at the good work they do. It is because of the sacrifice of the men in uniform that we can sleep peacefully at night.

Thats a real sad picture. I wonder why Renuka’jayalakshmi’charya was shouting and running around in circles. From when have ministers started participating in raids?
But it is shocking how some thugs were throwing stones, within a ‘stone’s throw’ of the minister! Either our police needs to plan well before such raids or the brew makers are so arrogant, that they believe they can stone a minister and get away with it.

Just as much as I feel sorry for the officers on duty who face bloody days day after day, I feel equally sorry for the state of our nation in the hands of the same officers who still do not understand the graveness of their duty and never having a clue of what they are getting into. Be it Karavigudda or or Kalaburgi or Mumbai.